Contact Federal Government Officials
Find senator’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/RLiotu
Find representative’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/5i7SXC
********************************
Many
newspapers, including New York Times and Washington
Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles
each month. We can also check with our
local libraries to find out how to get online access through them.
1.
Yesterday,
on the Today Show, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “Americans were "sick and
tired of being inundated with Russia fever.” http://www.businessinsider.com/samantha-guthrie-grills-sarah-huckabee-sanders-on-today-show-2018-1 Let’s
all tell Sanders just how many of us are NOT sick and tired of the Russia fever,
in fact, we are sick and tired of the Russia cover up. Let’s write her: The White House, 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500 or leave a message for her: 202-456-1414 or tweet her: @SarahHuckabee
Washington, DC 20500 or leave a message for her: 202-456-1414 or tweet her: @SarahHuckabee
2.
“Last
year was the deadliest on record for the United States’ LGBTQ community,
according to a report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/370236-report-anti-lgbt-violence-surged-in-2017 Let’s let our MoCs know that we want better
federal protections for our brothers and sisters.
3.
Last
March, Trump repealed Obama’s “Fair Pay, Safe Workplaces” rule, put in place to
protect workers from wage theft and unsafe working conditions by employers
bidding on federal contracts: http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2017/03/senate-passes-repeal-obama-fair-pay-safe-workplace-rule/135939/ Now, the Communication Workers of
America has filed its fourth complaint, this time on behalf of those working at
call centers serving Medicare and ACA beneficiaries. “C.W.A. estimates that
thousands of low-wage workers employed by General Dynamics Information
Technology stand to recover over $100 million in back wages.” Let’s help
defend these and all workers by demanding that the Wage and Hour Division of
the Labor Department investigate and act on the CWA’s complaint: 866-487-9243. Or we could contact the Secretary of
Labor R. Alexander Acosta at 1-866-487-2365 or 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington
DC 20210
4.
Former
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (fired by Trump) and Former NJ Governor
(Republican) Christine Todd Whitman have penned an excellent op-ed together
about how our norms must be codified into law as Trump shows us how thin the
guardrails are: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/01/29/trump-abuses-show-we-must-turn-traditions-into-laws-preet-bharara-christine-todd-whitman-column/1063619001/ Let’s
share this with our MoC while reminding them of the need to #ProtectMueller and
#ProtectRosenstein
5.
Trump
judicial pick Michael Brennan testified before the Judiciary Committee last
week, and seems set to move on to the full Senate. The fact that they’re moving
forward with Brennan is an attack on a decades-old tradition to keep extremists
off the courts (https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/24/trump-court-pick-michael-brennan-faces-senate-judiciary-committee/1061965001/).
In his hearing, he refused to acknowledge racial bias in the justice system, a
particularly disturbing comment in light of his expressed skepticism about the
glass ceiling. And the progressive Alliance
for Justice has found he’s willing to accept largely
unchecked executive power, a view more dangerous than ever in the age of Trump.
Let’s call our senators and tell them that between standing up for Senate
tradition, insisting that social realities be recognized and the importance of
checks and balances, there’s more than enough reason for them to say no to
Michael Brennan.
6.
FEMA is
calling off its effort to supply Puerto Rico with food and water. “Some on the
island believe it's too soon to end these deliveries given that a third of
residents still lack electricity and, in some places, running water.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/29/581511023/fema-to-end-food-and-water-aid-for-puerto-rico Let’s contact our MoC to
urge them to ensure that Puerto Rico is really getting all of the aid it needs.
7.
“The
Trump administration said on Monday that it is resuming the admission
of refugees from 11 countries with additional screening that it said will
increase security but which refugee groups say will make it harder for Muslims
to find safe haven in the United States…. Officials from refugee resettlement
agencies said that while they welcomed the resumption of admissions, the
announcement reinforced their view that the administration was determined to
quash arrivals from Muslim countries by making it harder for them to qualify
for approval.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/us/muslim-refugees-trump.html
Let’s contact our MoCs to make sure they know
we won’t stand for a Muslim ban of any kind.
8.
“The
Trump administration announced Thursday it is doing away with a decades-old air
emissions policy opposed by fossil fuel companies, a move that environmental
groups say will result in more pollution.”
https://www.apnews.com/646836ad590c4230b730fc17cfbcb967/EPA-ends-clean-air-policy-opposed-by-fossil-fuel-interests The
NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) was quick to speak out against this
removal of protections, “This is among the most dangerous actions that the
Trump EPA has taken yet against public health,” John Walke, the group’s clean
air director, said in a statement. “This move drastically weakens
protective limits on air pollutants like arsenic, lead, mercury and other
toxins that cause cancer, brain damage, infertility, developmental problems and
even death. And those harmed most would be nearby communities already suffering
a legacy of pollution.” http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/370786-epa-loosens-rules-on-some-major-air-pollution-sources Once
again, Trump is favoring the wants of industry over the needs of the
people. It is time for to let our MoCs
know that these kinds of protections need to be written into law.
9.
Steve
Wynn has resigned as the finance chair of the Republican National
Committee (RNC) following multiple allegations that he engaged sexual
misconduct. Since then, two Republicans—Susan Collins (R, MN) and Lindsey
Graham (R, AZ)—have called on the RNC to return Wynn’s donations. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/28/republicans-steve-wynn-donations-sexual-harassment If our MoC are Republicans, let’s urge
them to follow Collins and Graham’s example in calling for the RNC to return
Wynn’s donations.
Election 2018 -
General
1.
The new
Democratic trifecta in Washington State is making real progress for democracy
and progressive policies, passing an expansion of voting rights and same-day
registration along with laws increasing transparency in state election spending
and banning conversion therapy (http://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/Connelly-A-State-Senate-on-steroids-passes-12511241.php). But there are only eight Democratic
trifectas across the entire country. Let’s follow Washington’s lead and change
that. We can help win legislatures by volunteering for Flippable here: https://flippable.org/volunteer/
2.
New
American Leaders offers a Political Leadership program, designed by and for immigrants.
If we are potential candidates who are African, Arab, Asian Pacific
Islander, Latino or Caribbean American, we can learn how to message,
target, fundraise, embrace our heritage and become a successful candidate.
Trainings are held regionally throughout the year. If this description does not
apply to us, we can share this information with someone it does. More
information and application here:
3.
Higher
Heights offers support to Black women interested in running for office in
several ways. If this describes us, we can get training, meet li-e minded
people and have our work recognized and highlighted. If this
description does not apply to us, we can share this information with someone it
does. Training is available in person and online. The website offers a
series of one-hour webinars on running for office. Past webinars are available
on the website and we can sign up here to be notified about new ones: http://www.higherheightsforamerica.org/trainings
Election 2018 –
By State
Other Actions
1.
Many of
us are confused about all the hirings/firings/resignations in the Trump
administration. This piece from The
Loyal Opposition helps us understand and gives us a few
important things we can do: https://www.theloyalopposition.net/daily-ctas/in-trumps-saturday-night-massacre-rosenstein-will-get-axed-not-mueller/
2.
The Ann
Arbor Jammers have released a resistance song, "Hear Our Voice," on
iTunes and a companion video on YouTube. The song captures the anger of many
Americans as they watch women's rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, and
many basic human rights eroded under the Trump administration. The YouTube
video was timed for a release on January 15, 2018, Martin Luther King Day. The
video can be seen at:
3.
We now
have a searchable interactive database that tracks the Trump administration's
continuing attacks on scientific research. "The Silencing Science Tracker
is a joint initiative of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund. It
tracks government attempts to restrict or prohibit scientific research,
education or discussion, or the publication or use of scientific information,
since the November 2016 election." Let's just say that there are already
100 entries:
4.
A
special election is coming up in Florida's District 72. Sisterdistrict.com has
this to say about the race: "Florida is a swing state with more registered
Democrats than Republicans, but due to Republican gerrymandering, the state
Senate and House are controlled by Republicans, and only 11 of Florida’s 27
Congressional seats are held by Democrats. In 2010, Florida voters passed a
constitutional amendment to curb gerrymandering. The amendment has survived
court challenges and the courts required new maps to be drawn. 2018 is the
first year that the new, more fairly drawn maps will be in effect." No
matter where we live, let's help out Margaret Good and get a Democrat in that
seat! Visit: https://www.sisterdistrict.com/programs/phonebanking/ to sign up for phone banking, text
banking, postcards, and other actions
5.
We’ve
all been entertained by the Resistance Revival Chorus and it was a treat to see them on the Grammy
Awards this week singing with Kesha. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8097171/the-resistance-revival-chorus-you-dont-own-me-cover This
remarkable group has now gives us guidelines for creating our own local
resistance choruses: https://www.facebook.com/ResistanceRevivalChorus
6.
Teaching
Tolerance now
has a lesson on Digital and Civic Literacy Skills: “The internet is an amazing
tool for teaching and learning. But, before we can teach students to harness
its power and become good citizens of the web, we need to understand the
intricacies of how it works and how it can be manipulated to mislead and
even harm users.” https://www.tolerance.org/frameworks/digital-literacy If we are teachers, let’s take a close look
at these skills we can teach our students.
If we are not teachers, let’s pass this resource on to teachers we know.
7.
“Fox
News’s Chris Wallace on Thursday said the Trump administration is trying to
“undercut” the credibility of the investigation into whether the Trump campaign
colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/media/370774-chris-wallace-white-house-is-trying-to-undercut-mueller-investigation Let’s
thank Chris Wallace for speaking truth to his Trump-supporting audience: Fox News, 1211 Avenue of The Americas, New
York, NY 10036 and let’s tweet thanks to Fox News, too: @FoxNews
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
Tune in tonight at 10PM ET for
the BET News special “Angela Rye’s State of the Union.”.
The special will feature Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) delivering
an exclusive rebuttal to the president’s state of the union address.
2.
Resistbot (https://resist.bot/), a tool which helps us connect with our senators
and representatives, is offering a streamlined way to help take action, should
Special Counsel Mueller be fired. If we text "mueller" to 50409 on
our cell phones, Resistbot will tell us where our nearest rapid response rally
will be and will help us RSVP for the event so that we can be notified ASAP
when it's time to take action. To be safe, you can also sign up at the actual
site: https://www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response/search/ Remember,
the same goes if Rosenstein is let go.
States
1. MI:
Governor Snyder has responded to the Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board
(MPSAB) recommendation that Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline be temporarily
decommissioned, rejecting the proposal entirely http://bit.ly/2Gy70ig Meanwhile, the protective coating on
the pipeline remains in disrepair http://bit.ly/2ANjmjL Let's be sure to contact Governor
Snyder and hold him accountable for his decision to do nothing. Email: governorsoffice@michigan.gov Mail: Governor Rick Snyder P.O. Box
30013 Lansing, Michigan 48909 Phone: 517-373-3400
Reading/Watching
1.
“Solar
Employs More People In U.S. Electricity Generation Than Oil, Coal And Gas Combined”
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/01/25/u-s-solar-energy-employs-more-people-than-oil-coal-and-gas-combined-infographic/#34f32f312800
2.
“The
stability of American society depends on conservatives finding a way forward
from the Trump dead end” - https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/frum-trumpocracy/550685
3.
“I’m a
Republican. Why Is My Party Gaslighting America?” - https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/30/republican-party-release-the-memo-gaslighting-america-216554
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